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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of McAllen are gathering at the State |
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Capitol on February 1, 2011, to celebrate their community's |
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contributions to the vitality of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, The development of present-day McAllen began in 1797 |
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when Spanish settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa Anita |
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Ranch in what is now southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size |
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and was eventually inherited by Mr. Gomez's great-granddaughter, |
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Salome Balli, who married John McAllen; together they continued to |
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add to the property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1904, the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico |
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Railroad arrived, and that same year, Mr. McAllen and other early |
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settlers established the McAllen Townsite Company, along with a |
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community named for John McAllen; other developers founded East |
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McAllen in 1907, and the two towns eventually merged and became home |
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to several businesses, churches, residences, and a newspaper; by |
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1920, the city was home to some 6,000 residents; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the last four decades, McAllen has grown into a |
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center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio Grande |
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Valley, and it is part of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan |
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statistical areas in the country; in 2009, Forbes magazine ranked |
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McAllen as the top mid-sized city in the nation for population and |
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job growth; CNNMoney.com has listed McAllen as one of the best |
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places in the country to live and invest, and Moody's Analytics |
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ranked the city number one for job growth for 2008-2013; such |
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designations continue a trend of recognition for McAllen dating |
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back to at least 1996, when it was named an All-America City; and |
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WHEREAS, A vibrant cultural center, McAllen is home to the |
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International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a showcase |
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for traveling exhibitions, loaned works from the Smithsonian |
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Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin American folk |
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art; the city's newly created Arts District holds regular art |
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walks, drawing thousands of art enthusiasts monthly; McAllen is |
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also a regional hub for banking, shopping, and conventions, thanks |
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to La Plaza Mall and the recently opened $75 million convention |
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center; moreover, a 123,000-square-foot public library is |
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scheduled for completion in summer 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy such festive |
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annual events as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July |
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Celebration, and PalmFest, and in 2010, the city celebrated its |
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third annual New Year's Eve bash, a free, community-wide event; and |
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WHEREAS, During 2011, the citizens of McAllen are celebrating |
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the city's 100th anniversary as a municipality, and they may indeed |
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take great pride in their city, which has played a significant role |
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in the annals of Texas history; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 1, 2011, as McAllen Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to all McAllen residents who are |
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present on this day sincere best wishes for a memorable visit to |
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Austin. |